Yesterday in parliament

Gary McKinnon

Alan Johnson, the home secretary, rejected criticism of his decision not to block the extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon.

Johnson said he had carefully considered fresh representations about the health of McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome. But he said information provided by his lawyers was "not materially different" from that placed before the high court and did not demonstrate that "sending Mr McKinnon to the US would breach his human rights".

Johnson acknowledged there were "legitimate concerns" about McKinnon's health but insisted that the US authorities had provided assurances that his "needs will be met". The accused man's MP, David Burrowes (Con, Enfield Southgate), pointing to concerns about McKinnon's possible suicidal tendencies, accused Johnson of being "spineless".

Mode 4

A protester interrupted a debate on free trade by unfurling a banner in the Lords public gallery and shouting at the business secretary, Lord Mandelson. The woman, who had to be dragged away by a doorkeeper, hung a banner saying "Mode 4" from the gallery. She yelled: "Mode 4, Mandelson, tell us about that. The import of cheap labour from 150 countries."

After briefly pausing, Mandelson continued with his speech on developments in European trade policy.

Afghanistan

British forces could be in Afghanistan for at least another five years, David Miliband signalled. Some troops would need to stay in the country to support Afghan troops and provide an "overwatch role", the foreign secretary told MPs.

Special forces

Miliband sidestepped a question on whether Gordon Brown broke secrecy guidelines by announcing how many UK special forces were fighting in Afghanistan.

Andrew Mackinlay (Lab, Thurrock) asked whether a D-notice had previously been in force to prevent reporting on special forces involvement by the media, and, if so, why it was no longer required.

The foreign secretary avoided a direct answer, saying he would write to Mackinlay so there were "absolutely no mistakes in this often tangled territory".

Iran

Iran may face yet another UN security council resolution over its nuclear plans, Ivan Lewis, the Foreign Office minister, disclosed. He said the international community would "not tolerate" Iran developing nuclear weapons which could trigger an arms race "with no limits".

Yachtsmen

Miliband called for the "prompt release" of the British yachtsmen being held in Iran. The Kingdom Of Bahrain racing yacht was stopped by the Iranian navy last Wednesday as it sailed from Bahrain to Dubai. David Bloomer, Oliver Smith, Oliver Young, Sam Usher, and Luke Porter were on board.

Updating MPs, Miliband said the government was working with authorities in Tehran to secure the release of the crew "as quickly as possible".

Iraq

The Royal Navy has returned to Iraq to resume training local service personnel, Bill Rammell, the armed forces minister, announced. All British personnel were withdrawn in July after their mandate expired before a new agreement cleared the Iraqi parliament. But the constitutional process paving the way for British personnel to return to Iraq has completed and Rammell told MPs they had now begun work.

Zimbabwe

Miliband said Zimbabwe could only hope to return to the Commonwealth if it complied with an agreement on political reform. The prospect of Zimbabwe's readmittance was discussed at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting last week. But Miliband said he was disappointed by the "slow pace of political reform" and continued violence.

Europe

Plans for European super-regulators to oversee the financial system will cause "immense destruction" to the City of London, Bill Cash, the Eurosceptic Tory MP, warned.

MPs said the new bodies were being rushed into existence, could remove national supervision and did not address the financial instruments that led the global financial system to the brink of collapse.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, acknowledged that there were some concerns about the plans being discussed by EU finance ministers, but said that the chancellor, Alistair Darling, would negotiate a deal that was "good for the UK".

Fish

Britain is recommending "radical but realistic" reform of the common fisheries policy, Huw Irranca-Davies, the fisheries minister, said.

He added that the next couple of months would be "crucial" to the government's aspirations. And, in a debate ahead of this month's European council meeting to fix quotas, he said he was hopeful of support from likeminded EU countries.

Census

MPs approved questions dubbed "invasive and intrusive" for inclusion in the 2011 census. The Tories have hit out at the "snooper" survey because it lists a range of new demands – including about the nation's sleeping arrangements. But MPs approved the questions in the draft Census (England and Wales) Order by 298 votes to 127.